1980 Solar Power Satellite Program Review

near to the SPS power frequency that impairment of sensitivity will result. (3) Radar astronomy targets lie close to the ecliptic, and antenna pointing angles will generally be within 30° of the geosynchronous orbit. In optical astronomy the effects of the SPS result mainly from the increase in sky brightness caused by diffuse reflection of sunlight from the satellites and subsequent scattering of the light in the earth's atmosphere. The effects are discussed in several papers in the report of the Battelle Workshop on Satellite Power Systems Effects on Optical and Radio Astronomy. They are difficult to quantify precisely because there is at least a factor of two uncertainty in the diffuse albedo of the satellites and the atmospheric scattering depends to some extent upon atmospheric conditions. In a zone 10° to 20° wide centered on the satellites, light contamination will cause impaired performance that cannot be compensated for by increased observing time. Noticeable effects will be seen over a band of sky at least 60° wide. The effects on ground-based optical astronomy are probably more severe than upon radio astronomy. References Arndt, G. D. and Leopold, L., 13th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Diego, CA, August, 1978. Battelle Workshop on Satellite Power Systems Effects on Optical and Radio Astronomy, Seattle, WA, May, 1979. Report edited by G. M. Stokes and P. A. Ekstrom is being published by the U. S. Department of Energy and NASA. Burke, B. F., 1979, in Battelle Workshop Report. Davis, M., 1979, in Battelle Workshop Report. Thompson, A. R., 1979, in Battelle Workshop Report.

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